How ‘60s pop was sold and the first news stories launching the hits

[@SamLowryDZ-015]

Beetle - played with a pen paper and die - IRRC you had to throw the die and each number corresponded to a part of the beetle you could could draw. The winner was the first person to complete their beetle of - a head - a body - six legs - two antennae and eyes.

[@tsl56]

I seem to remember vaguely you could also buy plastic beetle models to gradually assemble with each throw of the dice. I believe I actually observed one beetle drive and may have even taken a turn. I am more certain that it was in a local methodist hall, so there wasn't anything particularly sinister about it. ;-)

[@JJONNYREPP]

@@tsl56 Comments on ‘How ‘60s pop was sold and the first news stories launching the hits’ 0128am 10.12.24 yeah but i bet your hastily constructed beetle couldn't roll a ball of dung into a hole on the school playing field... i mean, that's some amazing situation panning out..... the game stops, the football slowly comes to a halt in the penalty area...the lad wanders over to the oily shape mobving through the undergrowth... to find... lo!!! a dung beetle.... i mean, life was pretty shoddy to have to rely on that kindda caper for one's entertainment... we had to make our own entertainment back in the day. why, wot did you have to do? erm... watch beetles roll shit and play football.

[@foxbasealpha]

That sounds like an American board game called Cootie where you would assemble the plastic parts of an insect that looked like an ant based on the roll of a die or a spinner.

[@nigelcampag1290]

Another book I really need to get. His work is absolute quality and in depth. And I'd sell my soul for the rare records he has in those shelves! Thanks for the great interview.

[@jameshunter3177]

I drank Cremola foam in the sixties. It came in a small tin. Water was added and it fizzed up. It was delicious. The rereleased in some time ago but it was ridiculously expensive. One of its ingredients was baking soda. You could buy it anywhere.

[@gokhanaya]

wow!... to both the book and seeing R. Morton Jack here.. this was very enjoyable guys.. thanks!

[@MrDirtybear]

This is another book that should be sold with it's own table/lectern for which the purchaser has to have a space in their already spacious music room. A book that is surely meant to be bought by music departments in universities, for historical studies. Good to hear that Rod 'the mod' was a beatnik before he was anything else.

[@FiveLiver]

'Yesterday's papers' is a good channel on YT for music fans.

[@nicknikipediacaulkin5943]

I suppose Richard Morton Jack will promote his book by sending out a press release! Great, fascinating video, David and Mark!

[@markwatkins8309]

Good idea, although on the face of it £80 seems very expensive for a book made up of scanning in existing, albeit rare, material. I think therefore the publisher is ruling out significant numbers of potential buyers price-wise.

[@philmus1]

Beetle Drive - different limbs of a beetle, roll a dice and each number means draw a leg on the beetle. When a player has drawn on the legs on their beetle, they move to the next table. Winner is first person to draw a beetle at each table

[@bbrexuk]

i recently got a stack of records from a flea market here, specifically because tucked into each one was a press release card, Cure, Bowie, Depeche mode. tracks i already have, but its the card thats interesting. Dance music and the way that was promoted was probably the last big scene for paper press releases and promo records.

[@cyclesgoff9768]

Cremola Foam was sold in the same size of tins as Andrew’s Liver Salts. Available in all fine grocers and chemist shops.

[@andybetts6584]

Cremola foam, "Ten big bubbly drinksx for ten big thirsty children" Had a relaunch in recent years that was mail order

[@SubTroppo]

Getting the book out there: perhaps by sending a copies to those in the US like Mazzy (Norman Maslov on YT) as he is one who refers often the British bands of the time. The book is essentially for those of us who have seen 'This is Spinal Tap' and remember the bit about the band's origins.

[@MatthewNorthArchive]

I had the album by the Eyes, though they were renamed 'THe Pupils' and it was on the Wing label called 'A tribute to the rolling stones' not a bad set of covers. Eyes records are worth a bomb.

[@billythedog-309]

No GCSEs in the sixties Mark.

[@Graphicxtras1]

Looks an amazing book, a mere £80 though ... Perhaps it will be available at some point in a paperback version ? I agree, lots of stuff is just thrown away so it is wonderful to see them in a proper archived form

[@TrunksTree]

The pre-order price was £60 a real bargain 😊

[@thezootsuits8151]

Publicity to get you radio plays - the story of record plugging and its effects, would be interesting. Notwithstanding the orchestrated fixing/payola in the U.S. (as per Fredric (!) Dannen's "Hit Men")

[@buzzawuzza3743]

The Tickle 45 "Smokey Pokey World" is excellent silly pop psych.

[@michaelcapewell4811]

Frankly I’m amazed that you’ve never heard of Bill Fay. His albums were superb! 🤔

[@known_unknown284]

Fascinating! What a great interview. I'm going to have to listen to it again soon as there were so many interesting insights and subtopics that I wasn't able to appropriately digest them all.

[@FiveLiver]

Didn't moustaches start with Paul McCartney, who came off a moped on Boxing Day 1966, resulting in the other Beatles copying?

[@DeltaJazzUK]

"Then the Band came along and ruined everything" Good call. It's well overdue for those pretentious bores to get a critical reappraisal.